New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1887-12-24
READING EMPLOYEES STRIKE.
OBJECTING TO NON.UNIoN woRKMEN.

ONE THOUSAND HANDS AT PORT RICHMOND QUIT
wokk-THE ROAD OBTAINS POLICE PROrEC-
TioN-FEARs OF FURTHER TROUBLE.
lBr TELEGRAPH TIE rnrBuNE]
PHILADELPHIA, Dec. % Tsp ciaD THE Reading Rail.
road officers In charge Port Richmond received to-day
a dispatch from New-York which was az follows:
The general manager OF the Reading Railroad has
Issued the following order: am informed that several
carloads OF flour ara now in the Port Richmond yard
orders that the he moved IL the men refuse
discharge them immediately
Manager Hancock said: "we have discharged five
crews for refusing to comply with this order"
The crews discharged members Of District
Assemblies Nos. 1912 and 6,2s5 Knights OF Labor, and
had refused to the Our to the elevator because
several nonunon men were employed there to unload
the When this information reached the Of the
union men employed in the elevator a general strike
among them ensued. Word communca ted to those
Knights who handle iron ETC., under the charge Of
Boss stevedore Morris Boney and they nearly 300 In
nun hoer & also quit work Boss steyedole Frank Flood
unloading railroad ties and pig iron ore They also I'M
We're oangins about corners 4 OF somsr @
The of this larte force quitting was
tclegraphed to the main Office in this city, aud Superin
tcnden swegard upon the scene OF the strike
He refused to renstate the shifting crews and ordered
the striking employees to return TO their work This they
refused to do. general strike is thre atened
Other men employed in the yard quit work until LOCO
men were idle.
The company was determined to operate Its lin es how
ever and made preparations to secure crews FOR the idle
locomotives. but were unsuccessful until about o'clock
when aid secured by forming mixed crew OF non
union men az the Third and Berks sta station.
STRONG GUARD OF POLICEMAN.
Trouble with the strikers had been anticipated how
ever and the company requested Director soke!y tt
furnish police protection. Accordingly an order was
issued by the director directing the captains and lieu
tenants OF several districts to force of 25O men In
three patoOns at the point of trouble At o'clock one
patOOn sent n rouul house a the unctOn of
tho Philadelphia AMI Reading track and the Pcnnsyl
vania track at Trentonave one to distribute itself
along the line Of the railroad running from the round
house to the coal wharyes, and the third guard the
coal wharyes, freight wharvcs and elevators
This action OF calling for police protection was greeted
with derson aud sarcasm by the men and the lnhaDit-
ants OF Port RichmOni The only cause for alarm was
the suspicion that The ron-union crews would be
nolested at their work. but they toiled on uninter
ruptedly and the police made attempt TO arrest any
one The engine, No. 23s. manned by the obnoxious
arr ed at the of trouble at about $780, aud
proceeded at to move the boycott,d freight The
news OF the renewal OF work was quickly communicated
among the other work and concerted action Of
quitting speedily agreed upon. An hour was given
TO allow the employees on the road from west Falls to the
river TO learn of the determination and at 430, when
the signal was given. every man stopped WORK shifting
engines that were working on the coal wharvcs quickly
ran to their usual resting place unit the Whole number.
fourteen, were placed in one line AMI the crews inn
mediatey drew the fires and blew out the boilers Men
that were wheeling coal dropped their barrow hahdes
switchmen closed their switches and left the main line
open. conductors. brakemen and other employees left
their work and quickly went TO their homes.
The ORIGIN OF THE TROUBLE.
One of the leaders said this afternoon: The whole
trouble grew Of the fact that Charles VI. Taylors
Sons employing non.union men to handle ther
freight. ami paying them low wages. We have urged
them 10 employ union at the regular pay, which 10
about 81 a week more than they paying BUS
they have steadily and firmly refused TO grant our re-
quest and refusal to handle their cars was our only
defence The general strike forced upon us by Le
company. which employed non-union men TO run theR
trains regardless of our agreement to the contrary
My Taylor claims that the men whom hc had engaged
In handling freight had been with him since Last August
and that lie had recently raised their pay ~ per month";
The than satisfied he alleges. and lie Lad
trouble in securing help at his price OF wages H4
Intends continuing the work with the same force o1
General Freight Agent Kem was reticen in discussing
the apparent outcome OF the strike ana declared thai
the railroad company would operate the road II 1t 70
quired military surveillance ~ the property.